Rapture

[Salix]

Petra smiled thankfully at the girl with the bike, and at the young man who seemed to be in charge. She felt immense relief and gratitude that people she had only just this minute met would be willing to go out of their way to help her.

 

“Of course, I wouldn’t want the rest of the group to be put in any kind of danger on my behalf. The house is not too far away; it’s in a cul-de-sac just off a main road, so it may be prudent for you to park on the road while I nip into the house, that way if you feel you need to make a clear getaway you should be able to. I’ve visited the pub at Stanleytone a couple of times,” Steve and Sally had driven her and the boys there to have Sunday lunch a few times over the years, so she knew more or less where the village was. “So I can meet up with you there should the situation with the fires worsen while I’m in the house”.

 

With another grateful smile she made her way to the passenger side of the minibus, nodding and smiling briefly at the young man with the bike as she walked passed.

 

Adjusting her bag she swiftly climbed into the vehicle, and smiled warmly at its other occupants, the happy looking dog with its tongue lolling out, and a young girl who seemed to be the owner or at least in charge of the dog. She was just about to close the minibus door when the man with the bike addressed her

 

"Hey. How old are your kids? Old enough to know what a ambulance sounded like?"

 

“Yes, yes they are” she replied eagerly “Josh and Thomas are both 11, they are twins - but why do you want to know if they would know what an ambulance sounds like?” she added in a puzzled voice, and then the reasoning behind the question dawned on her, of course the siren would be an ideal way of attracting attention.

 

[Fortune86]

James nodded. It seemed as though Petra had caught onto his line of thinking.

 

"Good. Then hopefully if they have wandered away from your house they might be attracted to the noise and come looking."

 

He gave a inward sigh when Jaune continued to rabble on about demons and such like. While he was he didn't like the idea of leaving the guy behind or trying him up, he wouldn't stop anyone who would wanted to knock him out for half an hour of peace. Presumably one of the ambulances had drugs on board that could do that.

[Fangirl05]

"Okay, that's it!" Erin lurched out of her seat and threw her arms around Juane's shoulders in a bear hug. She flipped down his hood and massaged his scalp. "My word, what soft hair!" she gushed and pinched his cheeks roughly, "And what pinchable cheeks!" She sat back in her seat and leaned out the window again. "Okay, that oughta keep him quiet for a while. So where we headed?"

[Marcus Pheonix]

Jaune stared in shock at the girl. He shuddered looking at his hands, could he see scales growing on his fingertips? He reached up and grabbed at his hair, he couldn't feel any dark ooze... nor could he feel any deep voice piercing into his head.

"A HA! Your efforts are in vain temptress for I am immune, the great go Ho-oh shines his rainbow light on me and prevents your evil from corruption my soul! Your efforts to seduce me are admirable but my life and soul belongs to my mistress and the great lord of fire!" Jaune paused, the match that had been in his mouth wasn't lit any more. He looked at the crazy girl and saw a small flicker in her hair.

She must wear a lot of product for the flames to light so easily Jaune thought. He pulled out a marshmallow and stabbing it onto the end of the charcoal-ed match held it above the crazy girls head.

"Don't move, I went to get it nice and even, too bad I don't have a proper spit," He said, somewhat sadly.

 

((Hey he didn't freak out! I think Erins growing on him ))

[Fangirl05]

((He didn't actually set her hair on fire, did he?!))

[Marcus Pheonix]

((Well she leaned in an hugged him while he had a lit match in his mouth, feel free to put it out, I just think it'll be really amusing... do you mind? If you want I can just make him slap you? But I think it's funnier this way, and suits his character more. He didn't do it on purpose though!))

Edited July 7, 2014 by Marcus Pheonix

[Fangirl05]

Erin shrieked and frantically swatted at the fire. She scraped off the charring and bared her teeth at the unfortunately not-catatonic Juane. She snatched the collar of his onesie, yanked his seatbelt open and flung him into the back; Were she less furious she might've found the thud he made satisfying. She unsheathed her knife and brandished it at him, eyes narrowed. "Stay there or I swear to God I'll run you through" she growled at him.

 

((Sorry, man. She feels threatened, she gets violent.))

[Marcus Pheonix]

Jaune's grin grew wider as he looked at the girl. He then reached into his back pack and pulled out one of the large butcher knives he'd gathered from the supermarket and brandished it in his left hand, while the frying pan was held in his right. He reversed the grip and spun the frying pan around, holding it as a shield.

"Ha,ha" He mused quietly.

"I knew you would attack, but be wary demon I was trained by the 3 swordsmen and know how one should wield a blade!" He said determinedly, he spun the knife in his hand, like one would ordinarily do with a pen. Grinning he held the blade forward, inviting for the demon to strike first.

"Your head shall be a worthy sacrifice to my great lord... and the parasites infested in your intestines shall feed Lucy for days!" He exclaimed, letting out his best mad-man laugh.

 

((If you want I can link the character I based him off doing a crazy laugh ))

[Fortune86]

When Erin started screaming James turned to look at her and Jaune. It looked like they were butting heads again. He shook his head and climbed off his back and walked over to the ambulance. Opening the side door he grabbed Jaune by the hood and dragged him out before he could fight back.

 

"Get on the bike" he said sounding exhausted.

 

He walked a few paces round the vehicle and looked pointedly at Erin.

 

"You're as bad as he is."

[Marcus Pheonix]

Jaune crossed his arms and before James could stop him ran over to the drivers seat and slit the chords connecting the breaks.

"It's my ambulance if I can't have it neither can she, evil witch," He said, sticking his tongue out at the crazy lady. He then walked calmly over to Jame's biked and frowned.

"Do you have a helmet? If we're traveling far I'd prefer some form of safety..."

 

((I sense a love-hate relationship blooming ))

[Fangirl05]

"And you're as crazy as he is!" she shot back, "He set my freaking head on fire!" She pointed for emphasis and stormed over to Mak's ambulance, sinking into one of the seats and crossing her arms huffily.

[Fortune86]

James stared at Jaune in disbelief. How could he be so stupid? Instead of answering his question about a helmet he instead settled for giving Jaune a clip around the ear.

 

"If you are going to behave badly I'll feed you to the demon lady" he warned. "I'll help her cut you up and everything. Alive. That's what happens to naughty boys who act out of spite."

 

What happens to naughty boys who steal other people's belongings and sells them on for a hefty price is something else he thought to himself. Probably something worse.

[Marcus Pheonix]

"Respect your elders! You're clearly younger than me, I can see it in your eyes!" Jaune said threateningly stepping close neough so that it almost looked like he and James were kissing.

He moved back and casually flicked the knife down into his onesie, for faster usage.

"Besides James-san, I'd like to see you try... also I'd burn your tires if you tried," He said casually. Reaching into his bag he proceeded to pull out a large roll of bubble wrap and duct tape and quickly fashioned himself a helmet.

He plopped it on his head and then lifted the hood over it, proceeding to tape the hood forward.

"Also I did not light her hair on fire, she got to close and the holy flames of Ho-oh latched onto her, it sensed the evil inside and begun to cleanse her... however, being the demon she is she couldn't stand his light and put it out..." Jaune looked over at the crazy girl and glared once more. He then turned back to James and grinned.

"I'm right aren't I? You're younger than me?" He said, teasingly.

 

((I just really want James/Erins reaction that crazy, childlike, onesie wearing Jaune is older then them both Now g'night ))

[Fortune86]

"I don't respect anyone who doesn't deserve it" said James coolly. "And if you can't behave yourself, you can find someone else to ride with."

 

In truth, he wasn't actually scared of Jaune. Yes the guy was crazy, but it wasn't the kind of crazy that would frighten James. No, the crazy ones who scared James were the quiet ones, the ones who had gone away inside.

 

While Jaune messed about making himself a helmet and babbling further James got on his bike and looked over at Mak.

 

"I'm going to go on ahead and check things out" he called over. "I'll see you guys there."

 

His engine roaring into life James sped off out of the hospital grounds, then joined the main road and drove off east, leaving Jaune and the others behind.

 

 

[Fangirl05]

Erin narrowed her eyes at Juane. "I may be nineteen physically," she started, "but at least I'm all there up top! I've read the case files of psychopathic eight-year-olds who were less off their nuts than you!" Having shouted what she wanted to shout, she sat back down.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Fangirl05

[Kestra15]

In all the confusion, with everyone talking and back-chatting and sniping, no-one could really pinpoint the moment the punk-like teen disappeared. Certainly Erin had spoken to him, and Mak was sure the boy was still there when he first parked up the ambu-taxi. But later on, when notes were compared, no-one could definitively say who was the last to see him or where he went.

 

---

 

"Erin." Mak's tone, which until now had been soft and sometimes unsure, suddenly took a much stronger tone - clearly it wasn't just James' temper that was being tested. "That's enough." He nodded to her commandeered vehicle. "And I don't think it's worth us trying to run two ambulances - he's probably fried the start-up motor anyway, jury-rigging it. They're tamper-proof for a reason." Indeed, unlike the smoother sound of his ambulance, Erin's sounded pained at best, as if something was loose or not engaging properly. He indicated for her to come on board.

 

With everyone settled in their respective vehicles, Mak turned the engine on and checked the fuel gauge; full, as it should be. They wouldn't have to worry about fuel in that immediate instant. With everyone strapped in, the equipment settled, and the supermarket billowing smoke, Mak pulled the ambulance out of the hospital and hit the sirens.

 

((GM: Sadly Hg has asked to leave the sim, hence the first paragraph.

 

Rather than waiting on replies and spending too long stuck driving around town, if you would like your character to go back home to pick something up then assume Mak has taken them there, and that the character's home isn't at immediate risk of incineration. That way we can wrap up our dealings in Hawkingsthorne and move out to the next plot stop. -KM ))

[Fangirl05]

((*Waves goodbye to Hg's character*))

 

Erin glanced sidelong at Ari and Emily. She could practically feel the awkward squishing her up against the ambulance wall. Ari she felt inclined to protect, what with the six-inch height difference, but she was pretty sure Emily still felt the initial dislike they'd exchanged. It made starting up a conversation much harder.

 

Come on, small talk, small talk...

 

"Soooo," she started, drumming her fingers on her bicep due to nerves, "What were you guys before, eh... This?"

Edited July 8, 2014 by Fangirl05

[StarriAngel]

((Soooooooo sorry guys!!!! I've been without internet for a long time now and am writing this on my phone which is about to die. I should be getting better access soon and will write a post then. I feel awful about being gone. Please don't be mad ))

[Kestra15]

((OOC: Don't worry, these things happen - glad to hear from you ))

[Salix]

Staring morosely out of the bus’s window Petra relived the moment when she entered Steve and Sally’s house. The still quietness, the absence of life, all told her that Josh and Thomas were not here. Quickly she had searched the rest of the house, even going as far as to look into the garden shed, but everything was where it normally was, nothing was out of place – except it, it just felt so overwhelmingly empty.

 

Making her way down the stairs from searching the bedrooms, she paused at the entrance of the sitting room, her gaze falling upon a photo frame sitting on the shelf, the photo contained an image of Josh and Thomas they both were grinning and looking so heartbreakingly happy, their eyes sparkling with mischief. Stifling a sob she plucked up the photo and put it into her bag; not being able to stand the silence of the house one minute more Petra hurried from the house, she didn’t even remember the journey back to the minibus.

 

A sudden jolt as the bus ran over a pothole, or something, snapped her out of her daydream and into the present; she was still sitting in the passenger seat, and Mak was driving them on their way to Stanleytone. Deciding that she would be better off trying to do something productive, rather then wallowing in despair, she reached over to the radio tuner

 

“Would you mind?” she said to Mak, nodding at the radio “I was thinking that I should try scrolling through the radio frequencies to see if there is anyone broadcasting” with a small smile she added “its what they do in these kinds of situations in the films.”

 

[StarriAngel]

((Glad to be back!!! This is turning out great by the way. I love the Erin/Jaune interactions ))

 

Ari's teeth had been chattering since she entered the ambulance. She didn't want to leave town, but she knew Hawkingsthorne was done for. Squished in the back with Emily and Erin, she was thinking deeply.

 

Well, she thought. Time for a new adventure I guess.

 

She was about to continue her musings when she heard Erin speak. The girl had asked what the others were doing before everything happened. Ari smiled dreamily as she thought of her old job: Her students, the studio, the feeling of her body as she spun and moved gracefully. She decided to speak up.

 

"Well, um," she said in that shy, soft voice of hers, "I was a dancer. I did competitions throughout England. I loved the thrill of the competition, but more than anything, I loved the feeling of walking on air I get when I dance." She paused to take a breath. "I also taught at the studio here in Hawkingsthorne. I taught ballet, lyrical, and Jazz. The children were wonderful, all so sweet. I loved watching them grow in their dance. It was amazing." She knew she was rambling a bit, but dance was the one thing in her life that gave her true joy. She sighed happily, her earlier worries deserting her for a while as she turned to Emily. "What about you Em? I remember you saying something about a nanny job or something like that?"

Edited July 10, 2014 by StarriAngel

[DragonSpirit009]

Emily bent slightly down covering Nougat’s ears. A sound this loud was sure to cause her to get a bit frightened and loud sounds like this weren’t good for a dog anyway.

 

“Um... I studied Au pair and catering which kind of lead me to here. I wanted to travel the world a bit and I found that taking care of strangers kids was the best way. I also worked part time over the weekends at a bar just to make a bit of extra money for my family.” Emily spoke not making much eye contact. For some reason she suddenly felt rather uncomfortable in this small space with these people. Usually this wouldn’t bother her but seeing that the situation was different than normal it caused her to be rather uneasy.

 

[Fangirl05]

Erin reached over and rubbed Nougat's head when she started whimpering. Probably wasn't used to riding around in vehicles that weren't soft on the inside.

 

"So, a dancer and a mother's helper with catering ambitions, eh?" She smirked playfully at Ari. "That explains why I can use you for dental floss." She turned her attention to the floor. "I was a student at Seton Hall and working as a Starbucks barista, but I was gonna be a detective, maybe even a judge someday. I'd finally saved up enough money to pay for my first semester this fall in full, and I had my Civil Service exam scheduled. It was in the bag." She sighed. "I was supposed to take it a couple days after we got back from England."

[Kestra15]

Mak had stopped off at his flat, thankfully as far from both fires as possible in the little town, and had left the engine running as he picked up his keys and went indoors. Mak had always been frugal with his possessions, with his Spartan flat a sign of his restlessness and inability to commit to any one path or idea. Swapping out his trainers for his beloved walking boots he took a moment to consider the quiver and bow that was sat in his cupboard; left over from one of his longer-lived hobbies the sports bow and training arrows had simply sat and gathered dust for the last couple of years, always half-hidden by his gi. For several seconds he stood staring at them, then broke his concentration long enough to grab a hold-all and simply ram in as many clothes as he could grab in half a minute. He finished by picking up his beloved black belt, something which would surely now hold no symbolic use to the rest of the world or practical use to himself, and put it in the side pouch of his hold-all. He walked to the door, stopped, and turned to face the quiver again.

 

"This is bloody ridiculous," he muttered as he snatched it up, and quickly left the flat. It had taken him only a couple of minutes, and as he returned to the ambulance he simply put bag, bow and quiver in the back, blushing as he did. It was silly, he knew, and as he got back into the driver's seat and pulled away he hoped no-one would mention it.

 

---

 

As they drove out of Hawkingsthorne Mak nodded to Petra's request. "Go for it," he said, flicking on the radio and killing the sirens. He had not mentioned anything about Petra not having found her children; somehow it didn't seem like the right time to do so. He hoped Wisperlee was well on her bike, and that Jaune and James would meet them at the next destination without setting it on fire. He said nothing more as he let Petra search for a signal - but as the ambulance rolled through the countryside, all they found on the airwaves was static and silence.

[Fangirl05]

Mak had offered earlier to swing by the house her family had been renting, but Erin had turned him down. "I took everything I thought I'd needwhen I left" she explained, nodding slightly pointlessly at the suitcase she'd cast off when they'd hit the road.

 

She briefly shifted her dirty look to the static Mak or the new woman had decided would make good background music, then turned it back to the bow and arrows Mak had thrown in, where she thought it was better deserved. Honestly her feelings about it were very mixed. On the one hand it meant hunting, which meant food, which meant surviving at least a little longer; On the other hand it was the kind of bow she sort of prided herself on looking down on in the Old World. She saw nothing deserving of respect in a bow that got lighter as it was drawn, nor in the person who wielded it. Back in high school she'd been slightly infamous for spitting in the face of the rules and bringing her traditional Hunic hunting recurve to competitions. And for destroying her competitors. Still, she figured, she should probably just suck it up until she found a better option.

 

The Old World. She liked that.